Reports of the new, contagious influenza virus set many people into a frenzy driven by media reports and speculations. For a moment, it even managed to eclipse the economic recession as many wondered if we had a full-blown global pandemic on our hands like the 1918 Spanish Flu which killed over 40 million people. As of May 5th 2009, swine flu had been reported in 21 countries with 1490 cases and 30 deaths—29 in Mexico, where the virus is believed to have originated and one in the U.S. Despite reassurances from governments and the World Health Organization, people continue to live with an unspoken fear of the virus and wake up each day wondering if they will be next. However, with decades of research and modern technology, we finally have the know-how to fight back and win this battle.
The 101 on Influenza virus?
Due to their structure, viruses have a unique way of changing some of their core components over a period of time which helps them adapt and survive in the environment they occupy. They can sometimes also join with other viruses from different animals or plants to form a new variant of their original form. To help keep track, health officials give names to these different viruses depending on their typical host. So for an example, human flu virus usually infects humans while swine flu virus infects pigs. Every year, U.S. health centers immunize millions of people against a type of virus that infects humans called influenza or “flu” for short. The vaccine they use is designed to attack three main types of human flu viruses—two influenza A subtypes and one influenza B virus strain. This gives us better protection against a broader spectrum of flu viruses. Common Influenza A subtypes targeted include H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2.
What is “Swine Flu”?
The ‘swine flu’ is a new variant of the H1N1 virus with genes from humans, avian (birds) and swine (pigs). This new form allows the virus to be transmitted from swine to swine, swine to human and from human to human, making it difficult to track and control spread during the initial stages of its discovery. Once scientists determined that it was actually just anther form of H1N1, it was easier to begin creating a vaccine directly targeting the news strains. Also, since swine flu is very similar to the human H1N1, the regular Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) medication used to treat seasonal flu has been found to be very efficacious at treating swine flu if detected early. Similarly, symptoms of swine flu resemble those of regular flu. These include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. However, some people with swine flu have complained of diarrhea and vomiting.
Preventing the Flu
Although it might seem quite basic and redundant, these simple good hygiene techniques, recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are currently the safest ways to prevent catching or spreading swine flu.
- Clean your hands regularly –wash hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap and water for at least 20 seconds or with a hand sanitizer such as Purell. A good trick is to sing “Happy Birthday to you” while washing your hands to make sure you meet the recommended time duration.
- Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze –viruses usually spread through aerosols formed when we cough or sneeze. Minimize spread in the air by using a tissue or handkerchief to cover your mouth. Throw your waste tissue into a basket or trash receptacle. Consider coughing/sneezing into the upper sleeve of your shirt instead of your palm, if you do not have a tissue at hand. This is because germs can stay on our hands and be transferred to other people or surfaces when you touch them.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth –these are very easy entry and exit points for germs which thrive in the moist, mucous membranes that line these parts of our bodies. When we touch something contaminated with germs and then touch our eyes or mouth, we can transfer the germs to ourselves and get infected.
- Stay home when you are sick and avoid crowded spaces – this is important for preventing spread of whatever illness you have to others especially those with weaker immune systems (for an example, children and adults over the age of 65 years old tend to be at a higher risk of contracting infections)